Rating: 
Pure Vita Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
The Pure Vita product line includes three dry dog foods… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- NutriSource Pure Vita Duck and Oatmeal
- NutriSource Pure Vita Salmon and Potato
- NutriSource Pure Vita Chicken and Brown Rice
NutriSource Pure Vita Duck and Oatmeal was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Pure Vita Duck and Oatmeal Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Duck, duck meal, oatmeal, barley, potato protein, natural vegan flavors, flaxseed, sunflower oil, alfalfa, tomato pomace, carrots, peas, apricots, cherries, cranberries, salt, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma longibrachiatum, Bacillus subtillis), acai berry, glucosamine hydrochloride, tumeric, taurine, chicory extract, lecithin, pomegranate extract, garlic, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), yucca schidigera extract, chondroitin sulfate, zinc proteinate, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, iron proteinate, pantothenic acid, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, folic acid, calcium iodate, cobalt proteinate, biotin, selenium proteinate, vitamin B12 supplement, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.7%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food includes duck. Although it is a quality item, raw duck contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.
Which brings us to duck meal… the second and (more likely) the dominant meat ingredient in this dog food.
Duck meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh duck.
The third ingredient is oatmeal… a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, fiber and is also (unlike many other grains) gluten-free.
The fourth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Differing from grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs.
The fifth ingredient is potato protein… the dry residue remaining after removing the starchy part of a potato.
Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
This less expensive plant-based ingredient can boost the total protein content of this dog food.
After the natural vegan flavor, we find flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
The eighth ingredient includes sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is high in linoleic acid… an essential omega-6 fatty acid needed by every dog to sustain life.
But the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in a food is nutritionally critical… and can vary significantly (depending on the quality of the source ingredient itself).
There are several different types of sunflower oil… some better than others. Without knowing more, it is impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With four notable exceptions…
Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product left after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content… while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
Next, garlic can be a controversial item. Although the majority of experts favor the ingredient for its numerous health benefits, garlic (in rare cases) has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.1
Most of the literature we surveyed offered no conclusive evidence against the use of garlic… especially in small amounts (as it is here).
Thirdly, the manufacturer appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
And lastly, this food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Pure Vita Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Pure Vita Dog Food appears to be an above-average kibble.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 27%, a fat level of 14% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 51%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 50% for the overall product line.
Near-average protein. Average fat. And average carbohydrates as compared to a typical dry dog food.
In addition, when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the potato protein, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Pure Vita Dog Food is a plant-based kibble using only a moderate amount of poultry or salmon meals as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.
Highly recommended.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
03/21/2010 Original review
10/21/2010 Review updated
- Yamato et al, Heinz Body hemolytic anemia with eccentrocytosis from ingestion of Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) and garlic (Allium sativum) in a dog, Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 41:68-73 (2005) ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.